Signal for vehicles



L. H. FEKEBERG SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES Filed April 17 1922 Patented July 10,1923.

UNITED. STATES 1,461,114? PATENT OFFIQE.

LABS H. EKEBERG, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

. i sreNnrLron VEHICLES.

Application ad April 17, 1922. Serial No. 552,770.

ToaZZ whom it may concern." I I vBe it known that'I, Lens H. EKEBERG, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county ofWinnebago and State-of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Signals for Yehicles, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention pertains to signaldevices especially adapted for use onmotorvehicles to indicate stop, turn, etc, and the primary bject is toprovide an improved signal of this character. I 1

Another object is toprovide a signal constructed in such simple andnovelmanner that it may be economically produced at a low cost and will beadapted for convenient application to different makes of motor vehiclesat any-of various positions at which the signal may be efiectivelydisplayed.

More particularly, I have aimed to provide-a device of the characterdescribed embodyingv asimple and novel signal element consisting of aplurality of fingers adapted to gravitate from a collapsed,concealedposition to a display position simulating an open hand, saidfingersbeing movable to and from said signal position at the will of theoperator.

I have also-aimed to embody one or more signal elements of thischaracter in a supporting frame of tubular form, at the ends of whichare carried electric bulbs, and to provide an electric circuit andoperating means whereby the signal element may be projected from eitherend of the tubular supporting member and lighted when the signal isdisplayed.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by thosefamiliar with this art as the invention becomes better understood byreference to the following description when considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front view of amotor vehicle showing the application thereto of a signal deviceembodying my invention;

*ig. 2 is a view looking at the rear of the device, detached, andshowing the means for operating the signal;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View through the signal device in itsposition shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

tor on the tubular Fig. 5 is a top view of an electric connecsupportingmember;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5; and

Flgs. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views illustrating the electric circuitwhich will be explained hereinafter.

My improved signal device may as mentioned above, be applied in anysuitable manner and at any location on a motor vehicle for effectivelydisplaying the signal. In the preferred embodiment a signal may bedisplayed at either side of the vehicle as a warning to those followingthat the driver intends to turn to the side indicated, or to stop. Inthe present case, the device is apexample in the positionshown in Fig.1, in

which said member reaches from side to side of the vehicle. Within saidmember, there is axially slidable, a rod designated generally by 12, ineach end of which is carried a signal element or device consisting of aplurality of fingers 13 pivotally mounted at 14 on the rod. The rod 12is substantially of the same length as its supporting member 11 and maybe moved axially in either direction to project either end beyond saidmember. For this purpose, any suitable or preferred means may beemployed, such for example as a manually operable knob 15 attached tothe rod 12 by means passing through a slot 16 in the member 11. Othermeans may be employed for reciproeating the rod 12, as for example, acable 17 run through guides 18 arranged as shown in Fig. 2 and connectedto the knob 15. This cable is crossed as shown and equipped on its lowerhorizontal reach 19 with a knob 21 adapted to be moved to the left andright by hand for correspondingly shifting the rod 12. When thi rod isshifted to sufficiently project either end from the holder 11, thefingers 13 which are normally disposed within the rod 12 and rest on thebottom interior wall of the holder, will drop to the display positionshown at the left hand end of Figs. 2 and 3. The fingers are limited intheir pivotal movement by abutment of their inner ends 22 against theoverhead surface on the rod, the inner ends 22 of the fingers being soshaped that they will be limited to positions in separated relation soas to similate an open hand. The face of each finger is painted toproduce black and white sections with the black sections of each fingerin staggered relation with those of the next adjoining finger. Theresult is a very effective signal display as plainly shown in thedrawing. It will be manifest that thefingers will be moved to acollapsed position within the rod 12 by movement of the rod to its innerposition, it being noted that the undersideof the rod beneath thefingers is open to allow free passage of the fingers from oneposition toanother.

In each end of the rod I have provided an electric light socket for alight bulb 28 which is directed toward its adjacehtsignal element forilluminating the same. The light bulbs are grounded on the metallic endportions of the rod 12, which in turn are grounded through the holder 11on the car frame, and each bulb is connected by a "wire 24: to a contactplate 25 fixed to the top oil. the rod, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

It will be observed that the rod 12 is of sectional construction,consisting of a center section 26, which may be of any non-conductingmaterial, such as wood or fibre, and metallic end sections27 telescopingand fixed to the center section. It is to this center "secion that thecontact plates 25 are attached and thus insulated from the end sectionsof the rod. Either light circuit is adapted to be closed by a contact makerj28 connected to the source of current. This contact make-ris atpresent in the form of a spring element carried onthe holder 11 by meansof an insulation plate 29 held in" position by the tabs 31 as shownplainly in Figs. 5 and 6. It will be manifest that when the rod is movedto either signal position, one of the plates 25 will be brought intocontact with the terminal or contact maker 28, thereby closing the lightcircuit and illuminating the signal being displayed.

It i believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding oftheObNCtS' preraced above, and while I have illustrated but a singleworking "embodimentit should be understood that considerable changemight be made in details of construction without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as expressed in-the appended claim.

I claim:

A signal for vehicles comprising a tubular holder adapted to be attachedto a vehicle reaching froin'side to side thereof, 'awsi'gnal carryingrod slidable in said holder-and having a center section and end sectionsand being of approximately the same length as said holder, each endsection being tubular and open on its underside, a signal wile-vicedisposed in the open portion of each end "sec- *tion comprising aplurality of fingers pivoted at their inner ends to the outer end of thecenter section and having inner ends of differe'nt lengths serving asstops for limiting the signal position of the respective fingers, andmeans "for moving said rod lengthwise in the holder to project eitherend therefrom, the fingers of each "signal device being normallyconfined within and resting on the bottom of the holder and adapted whenprojected to drop at their outer-ends Ltothe signal position through the"open underside of the projected rod section.

- LARS- E'KEBERG.

